Prince William's New Year's Celebration: Royal Rescue Attempt at Sea

Dad-to-be rang in 2013 by piloting a search-and-rescue mission off the coast of England

By Gina Serpe Jan 02, 2013 4:26 PMTags
Prince William, Duke of CambridgeJOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images

Prince William's New Year's plans were probably always going to be more impressive than yours. Turns out, they were probably a bit more heroic, too.

That's because Kate Middleton's future baby daddy spent the first day of 2013 piloting a search-and-rescue mission off the coast of England.

The coast guard confirmed to the BBC that while on duty for the Royal Air Force, Wills was called upon to pilot the RAF Sea King helicopter that was sent out to search for a 41-year-old Blackpool man who, while walking his dog along the coastline during gale-force winds, was swept to sea in the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

The royally manned helicopter provided the lighting necessary for the search teams to scan the surrounding waters off the coast of the Irish Sea. The mission lasted approximately 90 minutes.

Sadly, the missing man has not yet been located.

"We have covered every possible angle and it's now in the hands of the police," a spokesman for the coast guard said.

As for Kate, she reportedly spent her New Year's Day in a much more relaxed manner: at her parents' home.